91�Թ�� News | 91�Թ�� Today

91�Թ�� Emergency Management Alum’s Career Takes Flight with JetBlue

Danielle Hendrix ’15 ’24MA | Photos by Antoine Hart — Tue, 03 Nov 2026 14:30:51 +0000

Growing up in a well-traveled family with a father who worked as a flight attendant, Kaylie Savitz ’22MECM dreamed of flying planes herself.

That’s what first led her to earn an aeronautical science degree and a commercial pilot’s license. Then the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the industry — and her plans.

Savitz changed course and pursued a master’s degree in emergency and crisis management (MECM) at 91�Թ��. The decision connected her with aviation emergency management professionals and gave her the confidence to pursue a career at the intersection of what she’s most passionate about.

Today, Savitz isn’t in the pilot’s seat. She’s among the boots on the ground driving business continuity and emergency response initiatives across JetBlue operations.

Kaylie Savitz ’22MECM works as a senior analyst of business continuity and emergency response for JetBlue.

Preparing for Career Takeoff

When Savitz graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2020, she planned to take straight to the skies.

“Everything was shut down; all the airlines stopped hiring, and my original plan was out the window,” she says. “I thought, ‘OK, what am I going to do in the interim?’”

91�Թ��’s MECM is the first emergency management graduate program to earn accreditation from the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration.

She began exploring programs and career paths in aviation safety. That search led her to 91�Թ��’s MECM, where she could apply her aviation knowledge to emergency and crisis management.

“I was immediately enthralled with every single course, and I hadn’t experienced that before,” she says. “I would make every single project that I had the opportunity to do so about response to an aviation disaster or legislation surrounding aviation. That really cemented my future goals.”

91�Թ�� also became the launchpad for professional relationships, beginning with her mentor, 91�Թ�� public administration/emergency management alum Keila Walker-Denis ’07.

“When we were being paired with mentors, I was hoping for someone in the aviation industry, and they ended up pairing me with Keila — who at the time was the assistant vice president of airport operations for emergency management with the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority,” Savitz says. “I was over the moon when I discovered that a career like that could exist for me in the future, and I knew I wanted to work in emergency management and response in aviation.”

Later in the program, Savitz accepted an environmental health and safety internship with Delta Air Lines in Atlanta. She learned Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements and regulatory language while expanding her professional network.

What began as a three-semester internship rotation became a full-time role with Delta’s environmental health and safety team while she was still in the program.

Working in aviation safety, Kaylie Savitz ’22MECM is responsible for helping create and maintain emergency response plans, as well as facilitating training opportunities.

Raising Her Hand, Climbing the Ranks

Since then, Savitz has followed a simple mantra: Raise your hand at every opportunity. A year later, that approach brought her to JetBlue’s flight operations and safety team.

“[I completed] a lot of data work, change management and looking at safety reports from pilots. It was exciting to be part of having a pulse on safety like that.”

“It was a lot of data work, change management and looking at safety reports from pilots,” Savitz says. “In aviation, they use something called the Swiss Cheese Model. You have all these slices of Swiss cheese with all their different holes. Every so often, all the holes will line up, and that’s when an accident occurs. The role of any aviation safety team is focusing on not letting them line up. It was exciting to be part of having a pulse on safety like that.”

She kept raising her hand. After connecting with JetBlue’s director of emergency management and completing an emergency response apprenticeship with the team, Savitz was promoted in February 2026 to senior analyst of business continuity and emergency response — a role the team created for her.

She helps write and maintain emergency and business continuity plans, identify risks and training opportunities, and coordinate response readiness with both internal and external stakeholders.

No two days are exactly alike. One week might involve updating plans and incorporating recommendations from recent training exercises. The next could bring a full-scale exercise with airport employees and administrators, emergency response liaisons, crew members, and JetBlue’s care and ground operations teams.

“In an actual emergency, there are so many people involved in a response that your own team is also coordinating with the airline, airport first responders and government agencies,” she says. “Creating and maintaining those relationships ahead of time really helps in real-life situations. That way you already know these people, and you might even know what to expect from them or what they would want from you during these events.”

“91�Թ��’s emergency and crisis management program really gave me a baseline for every single thing that I do.”

Her relationship with Walker-Denis is a prime example of how those early connections continue to shape her work.

“She introduced me to some of her colleagues, and now I’m in a role with JetBlue where I get to work with her team at Orlando International Airport,” Savitz says. “91�Թ��’s emergency and crisis management program really gave me a baseline for every single thing that I do.”

91�Թ�� Grad Turns to Anthropology for Flood Mitigation Efforts

Ryan Fox — Tue, 03 Nov 2026 14:30:39 +0000

When Nilver Tovar-Ospina ’26PhD came to 91�Թ�� to pursue a doctorate in environmental engineering, he expected to continue studying the environmental challenges he had explored in Colombia during his graduate studies. Instead, the Colombian native opened a new avenue of research in 91�Թ��’s .

In Summer 2026, Tovar-Ospina became the first graduate of 91�Թ��’s integrative anthropological sciences doctoral program with a concentration in environmental anthropology. His research in environmental engineering examines how flooding and sea-level rise affect vulnerable communities in South Florida.

Tovar-Ospina found that while high-income, tourist-focused areas received substantial flood-protection infrastructure, historically lower-income communities continued to experience recurrent flooding that, in some places, had persisted for decades. He connected these contemporary disparities to earlier drainage and canalization projects, environmental changes and uneven infrastructure investment.

“Understanding what these communities are experiencing today is essential for developing more equitable risk assessments and adaptation strategies,” he says.

From Colombia to 91�Թ��

Tovar-Ospina’s interest in the field began years ago while working for a company that conducted environmental studies in Neiva, Colombia. His experience evaluating how hydrological companies, construction and projects can impact biodiversity and societies dependent on biodiverse resources deepened his interest in how environmental and social changes affect communities. It prompted him to explore these connections further from home, which led him to the 91�Թ�� Global Intensive English Program and eventually his doctoral program.

Focus of Research

During his doctoral studies, Tovar-Ospina began examining how flooding and sea-level rise affect communities in Miami-Dade County and why flood vulnerability is distributed so unevenly. Through 91�Թ�� Coastal, one of 91�Թ��’s Faculty Cluster Initiatives (FCI), he connected his anthropological research with broader interdisciplinary conversations about coastal vulnerability and climate adaptation.

“I wanted to go beyond conventional flood-risk models and understand how flooding is actually experienced by the people living with it,” Tovar-Ospina says. “That meant combining ethnography and community knowledge with historical research, participatory mapping and GIS to understand not only where flooding occurs, but why vulnerability is so uneven.”

Many flood-prone communities are located in low-income neighborhoods. Nilver says federal responses often serve as temporary measures while communities push for more permanent solutions. (Photo courtesy of Nilver Tovar-Ospina ’26PhD)

Tovar-Ospina’s dissertation, Architectures of Flooding: History, Power, and the Production of Flood Risk in Miami-Dade County, examined flooding not simply as a natural hazard but as a condition shaped by history, infrastructure, environmental transformation and funding. His research combined ethnography, interviews, participant observation, participatory mapping, historical research and GIS to connect residents’ lived experiences with the broader processes that have shaped flood vulnerability across Miami-Dade County.

To his surprise, some communities identified as highly exposed by conventional flood-risk models reported relatively limited experiences with recurrent flooding. Sea walls, coastal barriers and improved drainage systems helped protect some coastal communities, revealing a disconnect between modeled flood exposure and the lived experiences of residents.

Farther inland, Tovar-Ospina found lower-income communities experiencing recurrent flooding, including residents still recovering from hurricanes of the previous years. These experiences showed that elevation or proximity to the coast alone could not explain how flood risk was lived across Miami-Dade County.

Through participatory mapping, residents identified places where they repeatedly experienced flooding, allowing Tovar-Ospina to compare community knowledge with official representations of flood risk. The maps revealed recurrent flooding, drainage problems, mobility disruptions, and household impacts that conventional assessments did not always capture.

“Living with these low-income communities, I learned that residents were often offered ‘palliative solutions’ or short-term responses, like sandbags and water bottles, while they continued to call for longer-term adaptation strategies and infrastructure that could better protect them,” Tovar-Ospina says.

Nilver Tovar-Ospina’s research combines historical flood data with participatory mapping involving impacted community members, an approach that enables researchers to identify areas where mitigation efforts fail to address residents’ experiences. (Photo courtesy of Nilver Tovar-Ospina ’26PhD)

Awards and Accolades

Over the course of his doctoral program, Tovar-Ospina built an exceptional record of research and scholarship, receiving recognition at the university, national and international levels.

In 2026, his peer-reviewed article, “Tangible and Intangible Impacts of Flooding in Miami-Dade County: A Human-Centered Analysis,” was published in Human Ecology. He also received a Judges’ Choice Award at 91�Թ��’s 2026 Student Scholar Symposium and the Best Paper Presentation Award at the International Conference on Environmental Anthropology and Sustainability in Paris.

During his doctoral studies, Nilver Tovar-Ospina presented his research at conferences and scholarly events in the United States and abroad, helping bring discussions and awareness of flooding, climate adaptation and community resilience to academic audiences across the world. (Photo courtesy of Nilver Tovar-Ospina ’26PhD)

Among his other recent accomplishments, he received the 2026 Laura Bassi Scholarship for his book manuscript, Architectures of Flooding: Unequal Ground in a Drowning County and was selected as one of nine international participants for the 2025 Climate Politics and Autocratization Conference at the University of Bergen in Norway.

A Pathway to Strengthen Florida’s Coastal Communities

Tovar-Ospina hopes his work will help direct greater attention and resources to those most affected.

“Communities need to be included in discussions, studies and assessments when developing climate-related policies to ensure their concerns are understood and addressed,” he says.

Tovar-Ospina also feels proud for paving the path for future students who are interested in environmental anthropology at 91�Թ��.

“Florida and other coastal areas have been affected by hurricanes and flooding,” he says. “We need more environmental anthropologists to ensure the knowledge and experiences of the most impacted communities are part of how these challenges are understood and addressed.”

Zaby and Suree Vyas Investment Helps Shape the Next Generation of Healthcare Leaders

Daniel Dahm — Tue, 03 Nov 2026 13:30:30 +0000

A transformational gift from Zaby and Suree Vyas is helping future physicians launch careers of service while creating a lasting legacy at 91�Թ��’s College of Medicine, where the university officially unveiled the Suree & Zaby Vyas, MD Tower and Suree & Zaby Vyas, MD Classroom on Nov. 2.

The gift supports the Dean’s Excellence Fund and the S&Z Vyas Charitable Foundation Endowed MD Scholarship, expanding opportunities for future physicians and advancing 91�Թ��’s Go For Launch campaign priorities.

“Dr. Zaby and Suree Vyas understand that excellence in healthcare begins with investing in people,” says Deborah German, dean of the 91�Թ�� College of Medicine. “Their generosity will help talented students pursue their dreams of becoming physicians while providing the resources that allow our college to continue raising the standard of medical education. Their gift embodies the goals of by supporting student success and helping 91�Թ�� maximize excellence for generations to come.”

For 91�Թ�� College of Medicine student Nicole Stevens ’25, donor support helped turn possibility into reality. A mother of three and nontraditional student, Stevens shared how scholarships, mentorship and research opportunities empowered her to pursue medicine and redefine what she believed was possible for herself and her family.

The clock tower stands at the center of 91�Թ��’s Health Sciences Campus and serves as an iconic symbol of the College of Medicine, welcoming students, faculty and visitors while reflecting the importance of time, innovation and excellence in training the next generation of physicians. All those entering the medical education building, where every 91�Թ�� future physician is trained, will see the commitment that the Vyas’ have made to the college, to the healthcare landscape of Florida and to the future generation of healthcare providers.

“One represents the daily work of learning, discovery and growth” says President Alexander N. Cartwright. “The other serves as a bold and enduring presence on the horizon. Together, they reflect the lasting impact the Vyas family is making on 91�Թ�� and the future of healthcare.”

After being forced to leave Uganda in 1972, the newly married couple rebuilt their lives in England before eventually settling in Central Florida, where Vyas established a successful family medicine practice. Their journey shaped a lifelong commitment to expanding opportunity for others, particularly future healthcare professionals.The Suree & Zaby Vyas Foundation was created to invest in the next generation of caregivers by supporting students in 91�Թ��’s College of Medicine and College of Nursing and creating an endowment to provide perpetual scholarship support. Their name is also recognized inside the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion, home of the College of Nursing with the Zaby & Suree Vyas Collaboration Concourse.

Relive the Excitement of 91�Թ�� Space Week 2026

Jenna Marina Lee — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 18:26:33 +0000

Born from the challenge of the Space Race, 91�Թ�� was created to transform imagination into innovation and prepare people to launch humanity beyond its limits.

91�Թ�� Space Week celebrates this mission annually by welcoming global space leaders, researchers, students, partners, and fans to campus for collaboration, discovery, and the development of Florida’s growing space economy.

Take a look back at some of the standout sights and celebrations from 91�Թ�� Space Week 2026.

(Photo by Antoine Hart)

Knightro brought SpaceU spirit to the Celeste Hotel, welcoming industry partners gathered for 91�Թ�� Space Week 2026.

Students take in the 91�Թ�� John C. Hitt Library’s From Orbit to Archives exhibition. (Photo by Brooke Morris ’22)

91�Թ�� Libraries hosted several events, special programs and multiple exhibitions built from University Archives and Special Collections in celebration of 91�Թ�� Space Week 2026.

One exhibit in the Digital Exploration Center’s Immersion Studio, curated by graduate research assistant Eric Thompson ’19, brought six decades of 91�Թ��, United States and international space history and culture beyond the archives and into visitors’ hands.

(Photo by Antoine Hart)

The inaugural 91�Թ�� Innovate Day showcased how 91�Թ�� transforms research into impact through entrepreneurship, technology commercialization and strategic partnerships. During the event, representatives from the City of Orlando and Orange County government presented 91�Թ�� with a special proclamation honoring 91�Թ�� Space Week.

(Photo by Antoine Hart)

A featured panel during 91�Թ�� Innovate Day brought together (from left) moderator Ben Patz ’85MS, co-founder and general managing partner of DeepWork Capital; Joe Sleppy ’18, CEO of Capacitech Energy; Guifang Li, 91�Թ�� professor of optics and photonics; Jason Eichenholz ’95MS ’98PhD; Melanie Coathup, a professor in 91�Թ��’s College of Medicine; and Jonathan Reyes ’15 ’17MS ’19PhD, CEO of Halo Engines.

(Photo by Antoine Hart)

91�Թ��’s Florida Space Institute and its Exolith Lab hosted NASA’s Lunabotics Challenge. The Exolith Lab is home to the world’s largest simulated lunar surface, where NASA tests rovers and equipment for upcoming moon missions. from Exolith Lab Chief Engineer Max Kuehn ’22.

(Photo by Antoine Hart)

91�Թ�� honored seven contributors helping shape Central Florida’s thriving space ecosystem at the 2026 SpaceU Awards. 91�Թ�� President Alexander N. Cartwright (center left) joined the honorees and their representatives. From left: planetary exploration research scientist and 91�Թ�� physics alum Jared Long-Fox ’26PhD, accepting on behalf of Daniel Britt; mechanical engineering major Noah Brockhoff; 91�Թ�� Associate Professor of Medicine Emmanuel Urquieta; 91�Թ�� Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering Paula do Vale Pereira; mechanical engineering major Keanu Brayman; Tahllee Baynard, Lockheed Martin’s vice president of system prototypes; and Michael Edmonds, Blue Origin’s chief commercial officer.

Salma Tujjar (left) talks with Rosen College of Hospitality Management students at the fall career fair. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

hosted its fall career fair, which welcomed some of the world’s top companies, including Pegasus Partner Universal Orlando Resort, Marriott International, Walt Disney World Resort’s Swan and Dolphin Resort, and SpaceX.

(Photo by Dana Weisman)

Drone shows on 91�Թ��’s main campus and at Acrisure Bounce House commemorated 91�Թ��’s identity as America’s Space University, including a special show presented by BNY that brought the community together on Memory Mall.

91�Թ�� President Alexander N. Cartwright and First Lady Melinda Cartwright join in celebrating 91�Թ�� Space Week.

91�Թ��’s newly renovated Roth Tower shines during the Mission X Space Game’s drone show. (Photo courtesy of 91�Թ�� Athletics)

A drone show lit up the sky above Acrisure Bounce House during the 91�Թ�� Football Mission X Space Game. (Photo by Brooke Morris ’22)

Space Week’s grand finale was marked by the 10th anniversary of the 91�Թ�� Space Game. This year’s unique uniform theme paid tribute to 91�Թ��’s origin story as America’s Space University.

Students from the College of Engineering and Computer Science revamped their custom Citronaut saucer robot for pregame events ahead of the 91�Թ�� football team’s Mission X Space Game. (Photo by Brooke Morris ’22)

A Citronaut robot is one of several inventions built by 91�Թ�� students in the College of Engineering and Computer Science that make the game day atmosphere uniquely 91�Թ��.

91�Թ�� President Alexander N. Cartwright and 91�Թ�� donor, consultant and space visitor Marc Hagle take in the atmosphere at Acrisure Bounce House.

Orlando Health sports medicine physician Tracy Nogle (left) and 91�Թ�� Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Jennifer Tucker ’23PhD (right) were recognized with a custom-built Go Baby Go! car that was recently donated to a child with mobility challenges.

In recognition of the 10th anniversary of the Space Game, 91�Թ��’s Go Baby Go program, Orlando Health and 91�Թ�� Athletics partnered to build 10 space-themed vehicles (like the one pictured above) customized for children with mobility challenges.

Acrisure Bounce House hosted homecoming and the Space Game over six days. (Photo courtesy of 91�Թ�� Athletics)

91�Թ�� took on Baylor at Acrisure Bounce House for the Mission X Space Game.

91�Թ�� students decked out in space-themed gear for the Mission X Space Game. (Photo by Brooke Morris ’22)

The 91�Թ�� football team’s Space Game has become a fan favorite.

(Photo courtesy of 91�Թ�� Athletics)

The dance team helped lead the “Lights Up, Lights Down” tradition during the Mission X Space Game.

91�Թ�� Simulation Pioneer Honored for Advancing Immersive Technologies

Julie Harper ’01 — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:30:49 +0000

From transforming how images illuminate complex surfaces to creating new tools for healthcare simulation, 91�Թ�� Pegasus Professor Gregory Welch has spent more than three decades expanding what immersive technology can do.

Now, the field he has helped advance is honoring his lasting influence.

Welch received the 2026 Career Impact Award at the 25th Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR), which brings together the world’s leading researchers, practitioners and innovators shaping the future of extended reality.

The AdventHealth Endowed Chair in Healthcare Simulation at 91�Թ��’s College of Nursing and co-director of the Synthetic Reality Lab at 91�Թ��’s , Welch was recognized for his significant and sustained contributions to the field.

“This award is especially meaningful to be recognized by a community I have been a part of for decades.”

For Welch, that work reflects a deep dedication to both the technology and the people who’ll take it further, especially students and educators.

“This award is especially meaningful to be recognized by a community I have been a part of for decades,” says Welch. “It is also fulfilling to know that all of my efforts, the leadership, service, research and education, not only have been noticed by my peers, but have been judged to have had a long-term impact.”

Throughout his career, Welch has collaborated across disciplines to tackle challenges facing industries ranging from defense to healthcare. His research spans virtual and augmented (VR/AR) reality, virtual beings, motion tracking, displays and healthcare technology. Much of his work focuses on human-computer interaction — blending analytical thinking and creativity to build effective interactive experiences.

Among his most influential contributions is research on spatial augmented reality that he co-developed in 1998. That work earned the ISMAR Long Lasting Impact Paper Award nearly two decades later, and its impact remains visible today.

Using mathematical equations, Welch and his co-authors created a way to adjust projected imagery to appear realistic on complex surfaces. Their work helped advance projection mapping — the technology behind spectacles such as the light shows at Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom.

“That work is still something I’m deeply proud of — it was something that came together as a result of a lot of work with a lot of different people. It’s rewarding to see it now used all over the world,” says Welch.

Turning Patented Ideas into Powerful Solutions

Welch has authored more than 200 publications and is a named inventor on 31 patents. His inventions include a physical-virtual patient simulator, a “smart” wound simulator, sterile field detection mechanisms, directional electrodes for deep brain stimulation and tactile telepresence for isolated patients.

His list of inventions continues to grow. Two new patents issued this year build on a record of innovation that has helped place 91�Թ�� among the top 20 U.S. public universities for utility patents granted.

One new invention provides a system for generating spatially explicit auditory cues — sounds that convey direction, distance and height — through devices such as AR/VR headsets or vehicle speakers to enhance a recipient’s situational understanding.

Potential applications include helping military personnel track the positions and movements of squad members and equipment, improving vehicle navigation and making emergency vehicle sirens easier for drivers to perceive.

“It’s about using components of different home automation systems to help each other.”

The most recent patent addresses a gap in home automation: A home automation controller can send a command to a device, but did the intended change actually happen?

A lightbulb could be burned out. A broken sprinkler head could send water over the curb instead of onto the lawn. In either case, confirmation by another nearby device can allow the problem to be detected.

“It’s about using components of different home automation systems to help each other, in a sense,” says Welch. “Such as using a camera on another device in a room to determine if a light is illuminating or using home security cameras to confirm the sprinkler system worked properly — and if they didn’t, help the homeowner determine why.”

By connecting devices with complementary capabilities, the system could help users verify that their devices are functioning as intended and identify problems when they’re not.

Strengthening Future Generations

Welch’s impact extends beyond his innovations. An active leader, volunteer and mentor in IEEE communities, he has served in numerous board roles and shared his expertise through more than 100 presentations, panels and workshops worldwide.

“ My … passion to help others … continues to energize me every day in my work to advance immersive technologies, create solutions and support the next generation of researchers …”

He also leads the , a U.S. National Science Foundation-funded platform designed to transform research using immersive technologies. The project recently reached two major milestones for virtual reality research.

His contributions have earned dozens of awards and honors, including recognition as an IEEE fellow, a National Academy of Inventors fellow and a Pegasus Professor — 91�Թ��’s highest faculty honor. He received the IEEE Virtual Reality Technical Achievement Award in 2018 and the IEEE Virtual Reality Service Award earlier this year.

For Welch, the drive to discover remains inseparable from helping others do the same.

“My career, in this industry and in academia, is driven by a passion to help others — that’s what continues to energize me every day in my work to advance immersive technologies, create solutions and support the next generation of researchers who will make the next discoveries.”

91�Թ�� Expert Explores the Evolution of Cemeteries in Deathcare

Staci Zavattaro — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:00:42 +0000

When we think about technology, our brains might jump first to the phones in our pockets, the GPS in our cars, the computers we use at work or the latest AI innovations. But what if we think about technology as its dictionary definition of using knowledge, tools and methods to solve problems? In that case, technology and innovation are around us in more ways than we realize.

Cemeteries, if we think about it, are innovative places and spaces for body disposition in the U.S. During the time of the Industrial Revolution in the country, cities expanded rapidly — and so did the rise of pollution and the spread of disease in tightly packed cities. At the time, death was more communal and family-centered, with many homes even having death rooms. Burial grounds were located in city centers and churchyards. But as cities became more crowded and diseases moved quickly, there was a desire for public health interventions, including burials on the outskirts of town.

Where Mourning and Innovation Meet

This gave rise to what was called the rural (or garden) cemetery movement. The name is a misnomer because these areas were not what we think of as urban versus rural today. The rural cemeteries were miles away from city centers to prevent the spread of disease, especially in packed burial grounds. Many credit the first rural garden cemetery in the U.S. as Mount Auburn in Massachusetts, with its sprawling green spaces, carefully planned streets and beautiful sculptures. Elites took trips to the cemetery to see and be seen. It became a space for people to breathe clean air, take picnics and recreate. The cemetery was an innovation in how people buried their loved ones. Some convincing was needed to bury people there because it was a new way of body disposition, but with some creative marketing, the cemetery movement took off.

Cremation changed the sector once again, but that also took some convincing because of religious opposition to burning bodies in Western culture. Again, the innovation was not what many people in the West were used to — burial was always in-ground. How can people mourn when there is no body? My research at Durham University as a Durham Collections Fellow allowed me to look at the archives of The Cremation Society in the United Kingdom, where many records traced the long history of trying to convince Western societies to adopt the practice. Eventually, cremation surpassed in-ground burial as the preferred disposition method globally. We do not often think about our final wishes having anything to do with technology and innovation, but they are so closely linked and ideally should match how we feel about those things during life.

Engineering Sustainable Deathcare Alternatives

Today, the deathcare industry continues to embrace innovative practices. One is natural organic reduction — sometimes called human composting. It is a greener burial option that turns the body into soil through innovative technology based on a process typically found on farms. For humans, bodies are placed in purpose-built vessels that break down the body slowly and eventually turn it into soil that can be used to enrich land. This process, as of now, is legal in 14 states. Aquamation, also called alkaline hydrolysis, is water cremation — another innovative alternative to flame-based cremation.

In my interviews with public servants running municipal cemeteries throughout the U.S., it was interesting to hear how they were handling changes in burial practices. One person in the state of Washington detailed creating a new portion of their cemetery specifically for “cremains” that included paved walkways, water features and a view of Mt. Rainier (when the mountain is visible). Even though cremation plots there are a bit expensive, he said community members are buying them up in droves. Another person in Massachusetts talked to me about finding ways to do green burial in their municipal cemetery without it costing upward of $10,000 and ensuring worker safety because there is no equipment to help lower the decedent into the ground.

Community Service Powered by Humanity

This is why I find it fascinating to be a professor of public administration studying the public servants who choose a life surrounded by death. They provide vital services we rarely see yet might need someday. I have asked about 70 of them why they do what they do. For all of them, it is about helping people through tough times, giving back to the communities they serve and making the lives of the living a bit better. Perhaps innovation lies in the emotional connection they build with other humans. That connection should be at the root of all technology.

About the Researcher
Staci Zavattaro is a professor of public administration in 91�Թ��’s School of Public Administration. Her latest research focuses on the public management of death. She served as 91�Թ��’s inaugural Big 12 Faculty Fellow in 2026, when she visited Iowa State University and the Johnson County Medical Examiner Department to continue her collaborative research. She also served as a in 2022.

Beyond the Scare: What Dark Tourism Teaches Us About Experience Design

Vinay Manukonda ’25 — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 19:04:26 +0000

Halloween is all about the thrill of a good scare. But what makes people seek out frightening experiences, and how do those experiences differ from visiting places associated with real tragedy?

For Brianna Wyatt, an assistant professor at the 91�Թ�� Rosen College of Hospitality Management, understanding those distinctions is an important part of her work in dark tourism and experience design.

Wyatt has worked beneath the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland, at the Real Mary King’s Close, managed both the Edinburgh Dungeon and the London Dungeon, written scripts for Halloween tours at prison museums and recently co-edited The Routledge Handbook of Dark Events.

Her academic work explores dark tourism, or travel to places associated with death, tragedy and the macabre.

More Than a Good Scare

While haunted attractions and dark tourism can share elements of fear and storytelling, there’s an important distinction. Dark tourism involves places associated with real historical events and experiences, while haunted attractions are typically created for entertainment.

To illustrate that distinction, Wyatt points to Philip Stone’s Dark Tourism Spectrum, which places sites along a scale of darkness. At one end are commemorative sites such as the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. At the other are ‘edutainment’ attractions such as the London Dungeon, where actors bring historical events like the Great Fire of 1666 to life.

Purpose-built haunted attractions are better understood through concepts such as fright tourism or ‘thrillertainment,’ where the primary appeal is the excitement of being scared.

“These thrillertainment experiences allow people to experience being scared in an environment they know is designed to be safe,” Wyatt says. “However, fear is an individual experience, so visitors will respond to scare tactics in attractions in different ways.”

The Role of the Visitor

Understanding how visitors experience and interact with their surroundings is also central to Wyatt’s research.

In a recent study published in Annals of Tourism Research, Wyatt and colleagues from Robert Gordon University, Edinburgh Napier University and King’s College London examined how visitors experience prison museums.

Their findings highlight how visitors help shape their experiences through conversations, gestures and interactions with others, influencing how they interpret difficult history.

While the emotional responses in entertainment attractions can be very different, visitor interactions also help shape those experiences.

According to Wyatt, effective performers bring stories to life “by responding to visitors’ behavior, making each encounter feel unique and immersive.”

Designing Experiences With Care

Whether creating a haunted attraction or interpreting historical events, experience designers must consider how visitors will respond.

“What one visitor finds scary and fun, another may find genuinely distressing,” Wyatt says.

That awareness is something Wyatt emphasizes in her classes at Rosen College, where students learn to think like attraction managers and experience designers.

She challenges students to redesign experiences to make them scarier, more engaging or more educational, while recognizing the responsibilities that come with telling stories rooted in real history.

“It is important to acknowledge the difference between visiting a thrillertainment attraction designed to scare, and visiting historical sites where real people lived, suffered and died,” Wyatt says. “For future attraction managers, understanding this difference is essential.”

For students preparing to enter the attractions industry, those lessons demonstrate how research, storytelling and thoughtful experience design can shape everything from Halloween thrills to meaningful encounters with history.

Interested in a career designing unforgettable experiences? Explore Rosen College’s undergraduate degree programs in theme park and attraction management and related fields.

Transfer Student, First-Generation Graduate Proves It’s Never Too Late to Aim High

Robert Stephens — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 13:00:51 +0000

Robin Marquez ’26 has re-prioritized his necessities at the University of Minnesota: he has clothes for exploring, clothes for frigid winters and somewhere he’s safely stored a new passport. This is Marquez’s latest stop in a lifelong itinerary that’s taken him from Brooklyn, New York, to Palm Beach County to Tampa, Florida, to 91�Թ��.

Nov. 2-6 is First Generation Week at 91�Թ��.

“I created a new road by going offroad,” he says.

Marquez is coming up on his 31^st birthday. He graduated from 91�Թ�� in May with a biology degree and an unexpected interest. Among the possessions he took north are arthropod samples collected from the 91�Թ�� Arboretum, an 80-acre parcel of research-rich ecosystems. He’s studying the microscopic insects for information about biological diversity. They’ve already provided the direction Marquez sought for so long.

“What I’m doing now, I couldn’t fathom a few years ago,” he says.

91�Թ�� biology alum Robin Marquez ’26 accepts the the 2025 Alate Award from the Entomological Society of America. (Photo courtesy of Robin Marquez ’26)

In his mid-20s, Marquez felt as if he were stuck in the weeds with a high school education and blurry future. Today, this same Robin Marquez has achieved the following: awarded the Order of Pegasus, recognition as the first student nominated through Valencia College for a Goldwater Scholarship, collaborated with researchers at Yale University and the Smithsonian Institution, and stood as the only undergraduate to receive the coveted Entomological Society of America Alate Award in 2025.

All of this has led him to the Twin Cities to work on a Ph.D. in entomology.

“I still don’t know where the limit is,” Marquez says.

His successes aren’t just for him. They’re for anyone who thinks they’ve wandered off the academic road.

“I no longer buy the narrative of hitting traditional checkpoints, like [completing an uninterrupted path to graduation] and starting a career by your early 20s,” he says. “It might take time to find the right people to propel you in ways you never thought possible.”

Robin Marquez ’26 completed leaf litter sampling as part of entomology training during his internship at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Summer 2024. (Photo courtesy of Robin Marquez ’26)

Marquez tried the “traditional checkpoints” route after high school, enrolling at the University of South Florida on a full ride in 2013. He imagined cruising along to medical school. However, 16 months later he departed USF with a failing GPA and mounting mental health challenges.

“I felt crushed,” he says. “I thought college would be my ticket out of socioeconomic hardship, that I’d be a first-generation graduate and break a cycle. Instead, it came to a grinding halt. I had the capability but not the right mindset. So, I kind of floated in this nebulous space of ‘adulthood.’ ”

Marquez carried the label “college dropout” in his mind for years. To this day, it’s hard for him to explain how misunderstood he felt.

Robin Marquez’ 26 looking for pollinating insects during a 91�Թ�� Bug Closet bioblitz, an event focused on finding and identifying as many species as possible. (Photo courtesy of Robin Marquez ’26)

Volunteering at an animal shelter became an escape. He moved to Orlando and grew plants in his apartment, hoping to shake himself out of stasis. A friend noticed how he enjoyed gardening and said he could make a career at it.

“I grew up in the concrete jungle of Brooklyn before my family moved to Florida,” Marquez says. “A gardening career sounded impossible until I heard Valencia [College] offers a degree in plant science. I thought I’d take a class, set the bar low and get back on my feet.”

A botany instructor at Valencia, Fabiano Isenhour, told Marquez to aim higher and consider research. The program director, Javier Garces, suggested he pursue a doctorate.

“I went from thinking two years of college would be my path into the workforce,” Marquez says, “to wondering where research might take me.”

The Fascinated Bug Librarian

In January of 2024, nearly 10 years after leaving college with a 0.9 GPA, Marquez transferred through the DirectConnect to 91�Թ�� program with multiple plant certifications and a 4.0 earned at Valencia. His mental health had improved, too.

Robin Marquez ’26 in the 91�Թ�� Bug Closet. (Photo courtesy of Robin Marquez ’26)

“Everything snowballed,” he says. “At 91�Թ��, I spent time with a wellness coach in the McNair Scholars Program. Mentors like (former Professor) Patrick Bohlen were invested in my potential. I found this intersection of passion, support and community, which fueled my drive.

Marquez also discovered the Arboretum and 91�Թ��’s Bug Closet, a collection of more than 575,000 specimens — one of the largest completely databased collections in the world — that heightened his new curiosity about the relationship between insects and agriculture.

“Insect specimens are like books,” he says. “They provide knowledge about the world. In the Bug Closet, I was the librarian. My research there led me to the Smithsonian, where I worked with species that are new to science. Someday I could be involved in giving them names.”

On His Own Track in Life

“When I look back at where I’ve been and where I’ve come, it’s exhilarating. I can’t imagine making it this far if my path hadn’t led to 91�Թ��.”

The dispiriting label Marquez once shouldered has been shed. In its place, he has that new passport, which he’s using to present research at international conferences. He envisions completing his doctorate and working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture or Smithsonian to support America’s natural resources through entomology.

“I’m just now finding where I belong,” he says. “When I look back at where I’ve been and where I’ve come, it’s exhilarating. I can’t imagine making it this far if my path hadn’t led to 91�Թ��.”

Love Space? Join One of These 91�Թ�� Student Organizations

Jenna Marina Lee — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 16:33:22 +0000

Landing humans on the moon was just a dream when 91�Թ�� was founded in 1963. But we dared to believe — developing the talent and inventing the technologies to make it reality. That same spirit still drives us today.

We are America’s Space University. And we celebrate 91�Թ�� Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what’s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

at 91�Թ�� extends far beyond a single discipline.

91�Թ�� students can choose from numerous space-related programs spanning business, engineering, hospitality, medicine, planetary science, optics and policy — preparing them for in-demand careers across the space sector.

Joining a space-focused student organization can strengthen your skills, connect you with like-minded peers and offer opportunities to turn your studies into real-world work.

Learn more about some of these groups and how to get involved.

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Who they are: 91�Թ��’s chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a technical society dedicated to the aerospace profession, welcomes students of all experience levels and academic disciplines. It boasts nearly 400 active members, with many studying aerospace, mechanical or electrical engineering or computer science.

Ways to get involved: AIAA@91�Թ�� sponsors industry tours, guest speakers, professional development events, socials and creative engineering projects. One is a multi-year effort in partnership with SEDS and Seagate Space to engineer the first sea-based launch by university students in the nation.

How to find them: Join the to stay up to date with announcements and general information, or follow on Instagram.

Astronomy Society

Who they are: The Astronomy Society is dedicated to cultivating a deep appreciation for space while providing valuable opportunities for students aspiring to build careers in astronomy.

Ways to get involved: Members can participate in resume workshops, physics conferences, space-themed social meet-ups, and telescope operation training, and help organize or attend Knights Under the Stars stargazing events at Robinson Observatory on 91�Թ��’s main campus.

How to find them: Attend a general board meeting, follow on Instagram or join the .

Knights Experimental Rocketry

Who they are: Knights Experimental Rocketry designs and builds experimental rockets and payloads for collegiate competitions.

Ways to get involved: Students can get involved in a wide range of projects, from designing and building rockets, developing liquid rocket propulsion systems, and researching and testing electric thrusters.

How to find them: Join the follow on Instagram or visit .

Knights Satellite Club

Who they are: Knights Satellite Club is 91�Թ��’s center for satellite and space systems development. Students can join with little to no satellite experience and gain engineering skills through low-cost projects that introduce them to spaceflight hardware, integration, testing, communications, recovery, and systems engineering.

Ways to get involved: Members can join progressively more challenging projects as their experience, skills and knowledge develop. Weekly committee meetings also welcome members with interests beyond engineering and science, including fundraising, event management and public relations.

How to find them: Find the latest information at .

Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS)

Who they are: SEDS empowers members to make an impact in space exploration through an interdisciplinary community spanning engineering, biology, economics, history, photography and more.

Ways to get involved: Attend speaker series, social events like space-movie viewings, professional workshops, rocketry tutorials and tours of space-industry companies. Members can also take part in research projects ranging from agriculture in simulated Martian regolith and space economics to solving space exploration challenges for NASA.

How to find them: �վ�� , stay up to date through the or follow on Instagram.

91�Թ�� Astronomer Selected by NASA to Explore Virtual Super Telescope Concept

Andrew Miller | Photos by Antoine Hart — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 13:00:11 +0000

We are America’s Space University. And we celebrate 91�Թ�� Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what’s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

91�Թ�� Professor Anish Roshi Damodaran is investigating a new approach for a virtual super telescope that could allow scientists to observe planet formation and the early universe in unprecedented detail.

Damodaran previously led radio astronomy for the Arecibo Observatory, which 91�Թ�� began co-managing in 2018 under an agreement with the U.S. National Science Foundation. Following the telescope’s structural collapse in 2020, he continued to advance his research activities at 91�Թ��.

Damodaran is now one of 18 researchers in the U.S. selected for Phase I of NASA’s 2026 Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. The nine-month, $175,000 award funds early development of technologies that demonstrate transformative potential and possible feasibility for eventual implementation.

“Having the opportunity to explore such a bold idea at its earliest stage, and to do so with the support of NASA and the NIAC community, is both professionally and personally inspiring,” Damodaran says.

The concept is known as PHOENIX — short for Photonics-Enabled Heterodyne Submillimeter/Far-Infrared Interferometer.

PHOENIX proposes using advanced photonic technologies to connect up to 25 spacecraft into a powerful space-based interferometer. Working together, the spacecraft could effectively function as a much larger telescope, capable of producing ultra-high-resolution observations at submillimeter and far-infrared wavelengths.

The project also brings together expertise in astronomy, photonics and space instrumentation from 91�Թ�� and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). This includes CREOL Pegasus Professor Peter Delfyett; CREOL professors Guifang Li and Stephen Eikenberry; Florida Space Institute researcher Julie Brisset; College of Sciences Professor Yan Fernandez; and JPL researchers Jacob Kooi and Jonathan Kawamura.

Jumpstarting a New Wave of Space Technology

Some of the most important stages in the evolution of the universe are also among the most difficult to observe. Stars, planets and galaxies often form from cold gas and dust that are invisible to the human eye.

Falling between infrared and radio wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum, submillimeter astronomy gives scientists a window into this otherwise hidden universe.

But observing these phenomena at extremely high resolution requires capabilities that are difficult to achieve with a conventional space telescope. A single telescope with an aperture measuring tens or even hundreds of meters would face significant launch constraints. Dividing that observing power across multiple smaller satellites presents its own challenges, including precisely synchronizing the spacecraft, and processing and transmitting the enormous amounts of data they collect.

The PHOENIX system is designed to observe previously hidden phenomena at extremely high resolutions. It will use optical frequency combs and integrated photonic circuits to provide the precise timing, positioning and signal processing needed for the distributed telescopes to operate together as a single instrument.

“While existing facilities can detect cold gas and dust associated with planet formation, star formation, and galaxy evolution, they cannot directly resolve many of the critical structures where these processes occur,” Damodaran says.

Seeing the Universe in New Detail

PHOENIX could also provide new insights into how stars form within dense, dust-enshrouded environments. By combining high-resolution imaging with spectroscopy — an observation technique that uses light to analyze the chemical composition of matter — the observatory concept could allow astronomers to examine how turbulence, gravity and gas dynamics interact where stars form.

“One of the most exciting applications would be the direct observation of planet formation in protoplanetary disks around young stars,” Damodaran says, referring to the rotating disks of gas and dust which form planets. “PHOENIX could resolve structures on scales comparable to the size of the inner solar system — allowing scientists to observe how water, water ice, molecular gas and dust are assembled into planets, identify the signatures of newly forming worlds, and investigate the conditions that lead to potentially habitable planetary systems.”

On a larger scale, observations of gas and dust within distant galaxies could help researchers examine how star formation and supermassive black holes have influenced galaxy evolution over billions of years.

“One of the most exciting applications would be the direct observation of planet formation in protoplanetary disks around young stars.” — Anish Roshi Damodaran, Florida Space Institute professor

Testing an Ambitious Idea

The nine-month Phase I study represents an early step toward determining whether that vision could eventually become technically achievable. Rather than building the observatory itself, Damodaran and his collaborators will use the NIAC award to develop a more detailed mission architecture, identify critical enabling technologies, evaluate performance requirements, assess technology readiness and further define the scientific capabilities PHOENIX could provide.

Young planetary systems form within rotating disks of superheated dust and gas, primordial environments that researchers hope to observe with unprecedented clarity through concepts just like Damodaran’s PHOENIX system.

Following his selection, Damodaran attended the NIAC orientation and symposium, where he met other NIAC fellows and learned about the range of early-stage concepts being pursued through the NASA program.

“In many ways, the process feels like undertaking a second Ph.D. thesis,” Damodaran says. “It requires questioning assumptions, exploring alternative approaches, identifying critical technology gaps and developing a compelling scientific case. As a scientist and instrument developer, I find that immensely rewarding.”

Future Stages of NASA’s NIAC Program

NASA’s NIAC program supports visionary aerospace concepts through progressive phases of study. Eligible Phase I recipients can propose for Phase II, which provides up to $750,000 for two years of further concept development and requires researchers to prepare a roadmap for continued development.

Phase III provides up to $2 million for another two years of exploration and development, with the goal of strategically transitioning concepts with the highest potential impact for NASA, other government agencies or commercial partners. NASA plans to make six to eight Phase II awards and one Phase III award annually.

The PHOENIX project is supported by a $175,000 Phase I award through NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts program.

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Love Space? Join One of These 91�Թ��� Student Organizations

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Astronomy Society

Knights Experimental Rocketry

Knights Satellite Club

Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS)

91�Թ��� Astronomer Selected by NASA to Explore Virtual Super Telescope Concept

Jumpstarting a New Wave of Space Technology

Seeing the Universe in New Detail

Testing an Ambitious Idea

Future Stages of NASA’s NIAC Program

91�Թ�� News | 91�Թ�� Today

91�Թ�� Emergency Management Alum’s Career Takes Flight with JetBlue

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Relive the Excitement of 91�Թ�� Space Week 2026

91�Թ�� Simulation Pioneer Honored for Advancing Immersive Technologies

91�Թ�� Expert Explores the Evolution of Cemeteries in Deathcare

Love Space? Join One of These 91�Թ�� Student Organizations

91�Թ�� Astronomer Selected by NASA to Explore Virtual Super Telescope Concept